Claudine Barretto will make a movie comeback through a co-production of GMA Films and Viva Films titled In Your Eyes. This movie also provided the opportunity for Claudine to work with Anne Curtis and Richard Gutierrez for the first time. Directed by Mac Alejandre, the movie is scheduled to open in cinemas starting August 18.
In Your Eyes stars Claudine as a senior physical therapist named Ciara. After years of staying in the United States, she becomes an American citizen. She welcomes her younger sister Julia (Anne Curtis) who comes to California with her boyfriend Storm (Richard Gutierrez). Storm enters into an arranged marriage with Ciara to gain immigrant status while Julia becomes focused on her studies. He eventually falls in love with the older sister, causing the conflict between Julia and Ciara.
During her recent solo presscon, Claudine says she cannot ask for more for her first project with GMA Films and Viva Films. She says that she is impressed by the professionalism shown by Anne and Richard while they were shooting their movie.
"It was such a blessing kasi sobrang ganda nung pelikula. Magaling talaga si Anne. Kaya nga since...talaga sinasabi ko na si Anne and the best talaga na artista at saka sa ugali naman n'ya, she's very direct...what you see is what you get, yun si Anne. Pero as an actress never ko talagang kino-question noon yung range n'ya as an actress kasi malalim, malalim siya. Pero kay Chard [Richard], revelation talaga 'yon."
In Your Eyes was mostly shot in California, where they shot scenes in well-known landmarks such as Staples Center and Newport Beach.
When asked to narrate her most memorable experience while shooting abroad, Claudine's face lit up as she recalled the time when they shot scenes in the famous home court of the Los Angeles Lakers.
"It has to be sa Staples Center talaga. Na move nang na move yung pag-alis namin and si Chard, the week before that, meron talaga siyang ticket. Alam naman natin na napakamahal ng tickets for the Lakers game. And yet alam na n'ya na nandun kami para mag-shooting namin so 'mag su-shoot ako, magtratrabaho ako,' yun ang ugali nya.
"Ang dapat kukunan namin, yung pagpasok ng mga tao pero hindi umabot so we had to wait. Afterwards, andaming mga lalaki na nagpapa-picture sa 'min ni Anne, sobra, so hindi niya alam kung sinong aalagaan: kung si Anne o ako. Naguguluhan siya so sabi n'ya, 'alam mo ang guwapo ko ngayong araw na 'to.' So sabi namin ni Anne, naman! Super talaga! Tapos kumain kami sa Japanese restaurant."
Aside from this famous landmark, they also shot some scenes in Newport Beach. But it wasn't the famous landmarks in California that made the trip unforgettable—it was her bonding time with her co-actors and the team of In Your Eyes.
"Maganda, maganda yung place pero...ang mga mas memorable, yung pag nasa kotse kami. May time nga na pupunta kami ng restroom tapos kailangan sumakay pa kami sa kotse kasi ang layo-layo ng gasoline station. Tapos kailangan bumili na lang kami ng kahit na ano para hindi kami mapagalitan [ng may-ari]."
JEALOUSY REARS ITS HEAD. Claudine admitted to the press that with regard to all the actors she had worked with in the past, her husband Raymart Santiago did not show any reaction until now.
"Yun na nga, e, nagulat rin ako na kasi 'kala ko si Raymart hindi s'ya masyadong nagseselos sa ganon, sa lahat naman talaga ng nakatrabaho ko, kay Chard [Richard] lang s'ya nagselos. Siguro dahil bagets," she says with a laugh.
But she quickly clarified that Raymart has no hard feelings towards Richard. "Selos lang, walang sama ng loob, awkward lang."
If she were in the place of Ciara, would she fight for the man she loves?
"Kung sa totoong buhay yung totoo na talaga...Iniisip ko na, puwede ring mangyari kasi nga di ba ang guwapo? It happened to so many people...it can happen to so many people. I know a friend na nangyari dito, actually isa sa mga kapamilya ko, nangyari itong storya. Kung ganyan naman ang itsura, di ba, ng leading man mo, di ba, parang puwede, hindi ka na aayaw talaga! Sa totoo lang, tapos hindi ka pa kasal, hindi ka na aarte-arte pa siguro."
She admitted that she could fall in love with Richard in real life if she weren't already married to Raymart.
Though she felt a certain "ilang" factor initially, Claudine says that she did not let this get in the way of her working with her leading man. "Sabi ko nga, ngayon lang ako nagkaroon ng idol na bata at si Richard yon."
PREPARATIONS FOR HER ROLE. Claudine revealed that her biggest challenge for this movie was overcoming her "ilang" factor about being paired with a much younger leading man.
"Yung [pagiging] physical therapist it wasn't so hard kasi wala naman kaming ipapakita na [procedures] but we have doctors naman sa set. Kami ni Chard nag-workshop kami kasi meron akong ilang dahil mas bata siya. Kasi parang ka-age niya yung mga pamangkin ko at ang bata-bata ng itsura niya. Parang feeling ko ma-awkward ako...Parang sa Dubai where I also worked with John Lloyd, who is much younger than I am."
It will be recalled that in Dubai, Claudine's character was caught in a love triangle with brothers portrayed by Aga Muhlach and John Lloyd Cruz.
The actress was soon able to overcome her reservations and Claudine even shot a love scene with Richard for this movie. All that remained was the need to perfect her character's American English accent.
"Aside from that, seven years na akong nakatira sa America so I had to get my own accent coach na ako mismo nagbayad talaga. Because ayokong pag napanood ito ng mga kababayan natin sa abroad tapos sabihin na parang hindi naman magaling magsalita. Hindi porke't may twang ibig sabihin marunong ka na...
"Hanggang sa dubbing, bitbit ko yung accent coach ko...kasi ayaw naman nating mapahiya sa mga kababayan natin na nagbabayad ng bonggang-bongga para manood tapos fake yung accent," explains Claudine.
"Nakakatuwa kasi andami kong natutunan," she sums up.